HERE IS THE BEST BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO SUICIDE BEREAVEMENT

Anyone who quickly needs to know (or share with someone else) the most essential information about suicide bereavement can do so in one click with this introduction to suicide grief support. (To link people to this post, use the short address bit.ly/suicidebereavement.)

The introduction is free and has been reviewed by experts in the field. It covers
• recommendations on how to be helpful to someone who has lost a loved one to suicide (for example, promote a sense of calm by listening patiently to the survivor);
• descriptions of the most common issues and emotions survivors face in the aftermath of a suicide (for example, distress over questioning why this happened);
• symptoms of possible reactions to trauma (for example, being "on the lookout" for danger, which is called hypervigilance);
• indicators of when a survivor might need to seek professional help (for example, if someone is coping by using alcohol or other drugs);
• the key needs suicide bereaved people have after the initial crisis has passed (for example, help with activities to remember and honor the deceased); and
• information and resources on what to do if a survivor is at risk of suicide (for example, use the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK/8255).

Not only is the introduction to suicide grief support authoritative and brief, but also all of its content can be downloaded for free as a slideshow or PDF document and used in presentations or as a handout (as long as credit is given to its developer). The content of the introduction was developed in collaboration with a work group of the Consumer-Survivor Subcommittee of the the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that included a dozen crisis centers specializing in supporting the suicide bereaved.